Chapter 218: , The Corporate-Level Operation of the Kanagawa Police

The Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters' assessment of this disappearance case is roughly as follows: it was committed by an acquaintance, a struggle likely occurred between the two parties in the home, and it may involve business competition; at the same time, due to the background of Igarashi Aiko's father in the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 2, this could also be a case of personal retaliation.

This matter involves the port revitalization plan of Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, and the Prefectural Police Headquarters attaches great importance to it from top to bottom.

They first conducted a laboratory analysis of the blood DNA found in the restroom and successfully obtained the DNA of a suspicious person; subsequently, the Kanagawa police began to investigate Igarashi Aiko's interpersonal relationships.

Igarashi Aiko was divorced, and she had a whirlwind marriage and divorce with her first husband; the reason was that Aiko only lived with her husband for one month during the marriage, and then she threw herself into her career and basically did not come home to spend the night, so the two sides could not even see each other once a week and had nothing to talk about at all; her ex-husband was extremely dissatisfied with this behavior of hers, and after many quarrels, they decided to divorce.

At the same time, the Kanagawa police also investigated that Aiko later had another romance, which occurred with her then-superior, Department Manager Naito of Mitsui Real Estate; because the two were working on the same project and were superior and subordinate, they had a lot to talk about, and Director Naito was also a divorced man; the two once sparked a flame and maintained a lover relationship for several years.

This relationship eventually ended due to the firm opposition of Department Manager Naito's children; after it was discovered, Mitsui Real Estate transferred Director Naito to the New York branch, and he was only recently transferred back to Japan to serve as a director at Mitsui Property.

Besides this, the Kanagawa police also learned that Igarashi Aiko was usually a good leader, worked very hard and was very diligent, and had no conflicts with her colleagues, but because she threw herself into her career, she did not have many friends.

There is a severe lack of surveillance near the scene of the incident.

The investigation of the case stalled here, and the preliminary investigation of the interpersonal network did not have enough breakthroughs.

However, the investigation of the blood in the bathroom had a major discovery!

According to the DNA Testing at Kanagawa University, the blood in the bathroom was not Igarashi Aiko's own DNA; the test result was male, approximately 60 years old, and blood type B.

This made the Kanagawa police even more certain of the perpetrator's profile.

About 60 years old, male, very familiar with the missing person, able to enter the home smoothly, and the two parties may have had a struggle in the home.

Hmm?

After the investigation had been going on for a day, Police Inspector Yamanaka, who was in charge of the case, had a genius idea!

He had roughly, perhaps, possibly, almost found the suspect!

This suspect is none other than Igarashi Aiko's own direct superior, Executive Director Sato, a member of the Board of Directors of the Sumitomo Mitsui Group!

Think about it carefully, Executive Director Sato really fits the profile of the suspect in every way!

First of all, he is under sixty, is the missing person's direct superior, and according to Aiko's emotional history, she had a history of having an affair with a superior before, and besides the workplace, she had no friends, and the other party could enter her home smoothly.

Doesn't this fit the identity of Executive Director Sato?

This is very reasonable, right!

Then, according to what colleagues said, Executive Director Sato particularly liked Igarashi Aiko; he not only took good care of her but also appreciated her, often praising her ability and work attitude to subordinates; it is said that Executive Director Sato intended to recommend Aiko to the Board of Directors to serve as a director after she reached her forties.

Doesn't this show that there is very likely an affair between these two people?

This is even more reasonable, right?

Police Inspector Yamanaka of Kanagawa Prefecture thought to himself, I am truly a genius!

Then, thinking in this direction, Executive Director Sato's heart is truly punishable!

He must have committed the crime the night before, then pretended nothing happened that day, deliberately arranged a golf team-building event, then created an alibi through this matter, and then had to create an alibi by gathering a large group of people to drive there together.

And thinking about it carefully, was it Executive Director Sato's trick to deliberately let a large group of people enter the scene of the incident to contaminate the evidence?

Police Inspector Yamanaka of Kanagawa became more and more excited the more he thought about it, felt it was more reasonable, and felt it was more possible.

This is too reasonable!

He is 45 years old this year, and as a Non-Career Track officer, he has almost reached the end of his career.

He also knows very clearly that this case is of great importance and must be solved quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly; otherwise, it is highly likely to affect the entire Yokohama revitalization plan, and if he can handle this case well, he might be promoted to Superintendent, and at the same time, he could find an opportunity to work for a large enterprise after his mandatory retirement!

Do it!

It's him!

However, the other party is, after all, an Executive Director on the Board of Directors of the Sumitomo Mitsui Group, so Police Inspector Yamanaka did not dare to act rashly; under his operation, the elite Kanagawa detectives were all deployed, and after staking out for a full day, they finally took advantage of the moment when Executive Director Sato was not paying attention to obtain a cigarette butt he had finished smoking.

After laboratory comparison, the Kanagawa police obtained a satisfactory result.

The DNA in the saliva matched the blood DNA collected at the scene perfectly, with a 100% similarity.

Got it!

The evidence is as solid as a mountain!

After confirming that the DNA in the cigarette butt saliva matched the blood DNA left at the scene, on September 10, the senior officials of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters agreed to arrest Executive Director Sato after listening to Police Inspector Yamanaka's judgment.

A great achievement! The Kanagawa police at the scene were extremely excited.

The incident occurred on September 7, and today is only September 10; the entire disappearance case was solved in 3 days!

We in Kanagawa also have our own Uesugi Muneyuki!

Thus, on this very day of September 10, the Kanagawa police mobilized collectively, preparing to arrest Executive Director Sato!

And at this very moment, Executive Director Sato was in a state of utter distress.

Due to Igarashi Aiko's disappearance and the loss of the Briefcase, the entire Yokohama city revitalization project was at a standstill, and because of her special status and the special resources behind her, there was absolutely no one who could temporarily replace Igarashi Aiko.

After the incident, Igarashi Aiko's father, Igarashi Masataka, and his wife, as well as their other four children, all rushed to Yokohama, but their own efforts to find their daughter were fruitless; this matter had already caused great conflict within the Sumitomo Mitsui Group.

At the same time, partners kept sending notices of concern, questioning the stability of the project, which led to obstacles in financing; although many partners would not go so far as to directly withdraw capital or unilaterally abandon the contract, it meant that everything had to be reorganized, which was a huge workload.

The disappearance incident also attracted the attention of the Kanto metropolitan area, and there was a large group of reporters downstairs filming.

And what made Executive Director Sato feel the worst was that there were many key documents in the Briefcase that had not been found to this day, and Igarashi Aiko was still the signatory for many legal documents; now, legal procedures were still needed to confirm the agency authority, delaying the progress.

And if the disappearance incident involved criminal or corruption suspicions, the project might be investigated by the authorities or even have its assets frozen, leading to a total shutdown.

Thinking of these things, Executive Director Sato's head was about to explode.

There was also panic within the project.

And just as Executive Director Sato was forced to step in personally, a group of men in suits arrived uninvited.

The leader was none other than Police Inspector Yamanaka of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters.

"Police?" Executive Director Sato looked up and saw the police, and stood up very excitedly: "Have you found Aiko? Where is she?"

"I am very sorry, Mr. Sato, we have not yet found Ms. Igarashi Aiko." Police Inspector Yamanaka of Kanagawa Prefecture said slowly, with a hint of sarcasm: "We are here today for another matter."

"What other matter?" As soon as Executive Director Sato heard that they had not found her, his brows immediately furrowed: "We are very busy here now, and we have already told you everything we should have told you; if you are not looking for Aiko, what are you doing here?"

"Executive Director Sato, we are here to find Ms. Igarashi Aiko." The Kanagawa police were calm and composed: "I think you should know Ms. Aiko's whereabouts better than any of us, right?"

"What?" Executive Director Sato did not understand for a moment; he was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly understood everything: "Wait, do you mean to think that I..."

"I am sorry, Executive Director Sato! According to our investigation, your DNA perfectly matches the DNA left at the scene of the disappearance. We have reason to suspect that you are the culprit behind the disappearance of Ms. Igarashi Aiko!"

"Now, in accordance with the arrest warrant, at 9:55 AM on September 10th, the criminal suspect, Sato Kozo, is officially placed under arrest!"

"No, you have the wrong person! You..." Executive Director Sato was both shocked and furious, immediately rising to try and flee: "It wasn't me, I didn't do it! Aiko has always been my prized subordinate; why would I harm her? You have the wrong person!"

However, this behavior of his was naturally seen as ironclad proof in the eyes of the Kanagawa Detective!

The Kanagawa Detectives piled on top of him to make the arrest, decisively pinning the Executive Director beneath them, clicking on the handcuffs, putting a hood over his head, and preparing to take him back to the Detective Headquarters for a detailed interrogation.

Thus, everyone at the Mitsui Real Estate Yokohama Branch witnessed an extremely shocking scene—the Detective had come and taken away an Executive Director of the Board of Directors of the Sumitomo Mitsui Group!

This scene also instantly ignited the media reporters who were gathered below the building; they saw with their own eyes the Kanagawa Detectives taking away a hooded suspect from the building!

This will be the front-page headline for all of Japan tomorrow!

Along the way, Executive Director Sato struggled frantically and cursed, but when he heard the sounds of interviews and camera shutters outside, his whole body twitched, and he suddenly realized that everything was over!

A disappearance would be one thing, but now that the outside world has discovered his involvement and the arrest, this will seriously affect the subsequent plans for the entire Yokohama Large-Scale International Logistics Distribution Center and directly delay the start of construction and the logistics schedules of suppliers!

It's over!!!

(End of this chapter)